Sectional device for demonstrating the outlines of objects.



C. H. FAWCETT.

SECTIONAL DEVICE FOR DEMONS-TRATING THE OUTLINES 0F OBJECTS.- APPLICATION HLED JAN.4. 1917.

1,265,897. Patented May 14, 191

Fig.1

CHARLES HAMILTON FAEVCETT, 0F INDEPENDENCE, IOWA.

SECTIONAL DEVICE FOR DEMONSTRATING THE OUTLINES GF OBJECTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application filed January 4-, 1917. Serial No. 140,641.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HAMILTON Fnwonrr, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Independence, Buchanan county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sec tional Devices for Demonstrating the Outlines of Objects, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sectional devices for demonstrating the outlines of objects, and the object of my improvement is to furnish a knockdown skeleton construction of separably coupled parts which when assembled in any desired relation present the appearance of the outlines of a tombstone, or the like, for the use of salesmen in visually exhibiting to a prospective customer the actual form and dimensions oi the article to be disposed oi.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view or" my improved sectional device as set up in a desired. form; Fig. 2 is a detail view of assembled parts of said device, showing the diflerent kinds of couplings as associated therewith; Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views of the eye-joint couplings; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of one of the base-blocks, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of said base-block.

Similar numerals of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

My improved form demonstrating device is particularly intended for use by tomb-- stone salesmen, but in principle, can be employed for exhibiting visually the form and dimensions of any other body to be shown. The parts of the device are relatively small and light, so that when disassembled, they may be packed in small compass for hand transportation.

The parts of the device can be arranged and connected in any desired relation because a sutticient supply of different lengths are supplied with which different sizes may be constructed.

The skeleton frame shown in Fig. 1 is a representation of two contiguous faces or aspects of a tombstone, which are all that are necessary to show in order to give an adequate idea of the visual appearance of the object to be demonstrated.

This frame may be built of sectional tubing and rods, connected together in desired relation at will. Preferably, sections 9 of tubing are used for the standards, while alined connected pieces of solid rods 16 are employed for parts which are placed in, a horizontal position or inclined at any angle to the vertical or to said standards.

Baseblocks are used for supports for the standards, each consisting of a block transversely orificed at thorizontally to receive a rod 6, whereby a plurality of the blocks can be connected fixedly to support solidly one angle of the structure. Each block has avertical orifice 3 to receive a vertical rod 5 forming the lower part of a standard, and preferably, the orificed part of the block has an upward extension 2 which affords a longer bearing support for said rod 5.

As shown in Fig. 2, each standard may i be built up of diii'erent lengths of tubing 9,

coupled by slip-joints as by the bodies 10 having oppositely-directed pins for insertion in the hollows of the tubing sections 9 coupled thereby, or by one or more couplings 7 and 8, each of "the latter having a socket at one end to receive a pin extending from an end of the other, the socket of the lowermost coupling 8 receiving the upper end of the rod 5. At the top of the standard thus formed, is assembled an inverted coupling 7. A horizontal cross-connection between the upper ends of standards may be made of solid rod-sections 16 which better resist sagging under the influence of gravity.

The said rod sections 16 may be threaded at their ends to be coupled together by interiorly-threaded sleeves 12. The ends of the horizontal or inclined cross-connections may be coupled to the upper ends of the standards in the following manner:

The numeral 11 denotes a piece of solid rod, which may be straight, or as shown in F ig. 2, bent medially with its lower end inserted in the socket in the reversed coupling 7.

The numeral 1% denotes an end-coupling member having an interiorly-threaded socket to receive a threaded end of a rod-section 16, while its other end is formed into a fiattened eye 15 as shown in said Figs. 3 and 4 to be connected thereby to said bent rodsection 11. Where two or more cross-connections come together at the top of a standard, the eyes of their end-couplings may overlie each other flatly as shown. The

socket of the coupling '7 may be fitted over the upper inclined part of the section 11 and then other rod-sections, sleeves and couplings connected therewith to form an inclined cross-connection to represent the gable angles of a tombstone or other object. The terminal gable angle of the device is formed by the use of a mediallybent rod-section 13, whose ends are coupled with socket-couplings 7. The terminal ridge of the object shown is formed of parts assembled as in other cases of horizontal cross-coiniections and has terminal eye-couplings ll and 15 connected to the angle of the bent rod-section 13.

The tubing-sections 9 and rodsections 16 are furnished in a pluralitjv' of different lengths, whereby a structure of any desired tliorin or dimensions may be quickly erected in the presence of a prospective customer to \isiuly demonstrate the object under consideration.

The plurality of fixedly connected baseblocks 1 supply rigid foundations for the structure and all the parts may be quickly disassembled.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the The standards and cross-connections may each be formed of a single body if desired, and may be all of tubing or all of rods as desired, without departing from the scope of my invention, While the couplings may be dilferently formed or arranged as desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a device of thecharacter described, a knock-down structure composed of a plurality of sets of base-blocks, each set comprising a row of like bodies, each body haring an elongated basal part and having an upwardly extended part provided with a vertical socket said basal part having a horizontal transrerse orifice, a rod passed hori- Zontally through all the basal horizontal orifices in each set, e ch block having a verti cal rod seated removably in its Vertical socket, and rods dctachably connected angularly between the said Vertical rods forming a connected selt-si1p )o1 'te(l skeleton frame.

Signed at "Yi aterlro, Iowa, this 19th day of December, 1916.

CHARLES HAMILTON FAWCETT.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

